The present invention relates to a flexible partition, and more particularly to a curtain with an integrated wind-up device.
It is well known to utilize flexible sheet type curtains, which are adapted to be rolled up, to divide or partition a large room such as a gymnasium. Such curtains might easily measure 40 feet in length by 20 feet in height. In most cases, an electrical motor drives a shaft on which the curtain is hung. Such an apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,063, issued to Max F. Roller. As can be seen in the roller patent, the installation of such a curtain may be relatively involved since the motor and roll-up device must be mounted to the trusses or rafters supporting the ceiling. The torque required to wind-up the complete curtain is substantial, thereby increasing the height of the wind-up installation.
A further disadvantage of current flexible partition wall systems is that they do not lend themselves to providing proper barriers to dust or noise. In other words, there is no suitable device for sealing the vertical edges of the curtain to the walls forming the enclosure or room which is being divided by the curtain, when it is deployed. The Applicant has designed a flexible partition wall system to overcome the above mentioned disadvantages of current flexible partition wall systems, which is described in the Applicant""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,171, issued on Jul. 4, 1995. The flexible partition described in that patent is suspended from a ceiling of a gymnasium or the like, and includes a drive cylinder which extends the length of and intermediate of the curtain forming the partition. The cylinder is provided with an internal drive motor, and a reaction device is provided externally of the curtain such that the motor device when activated will drive the cylinder to wind-up the upper and lower portions of the curtain. The upper and lower portions of the curtain are attached at diametrically opposed locations on the cylinder, and hook-and-loop type fastening strips are provided on the side edges of the curtain and on the side wall so as to seal the curtain against noise and dust.
The flexible partition wall system works well and has been welcomed by users. Nevertheless, the Applicant is seeking improvements thereof, particularly, a better acoustic insulation is desirable.
One object of the present invention is to provide an improved, relatively light, flexible partition for dividing large rooms, such as gymnasiums.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a flexible partition which is relatively simple to install.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a flexible partition which provides better acoustic insulation to reduce the transmission of sound between the two divided portions of the room.
The construction of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises a flexible partition for dividing a room, wherein the room includes a ceiling, a floor, and vertical side limiting means defining a vertical planar area. The flexible partition has dimensions to cover the vertical planar area and includes a flexible curtain with a top edge, a bottom edge touching the floor when the curtain is fully deployed, and side edges in contact with the respective vertical side limiting means. Means are provided for suspending the curtain from a structure supporting the ceiling. An elongated cylinder extends from one side edge of the curtain to the other and is connected to the curtain to divide the curtain into upper and lower portions. A motor means is located within the cylinder at least at one side edge of the curtain and a rotary drive means is driven by the motor means and connected to the cylinder. A torque reacting means is provided adjacent to the one side edge of the curtain and is associated with the motor means to resist rotation of the motor means with the cylinder in response to rotation of the rotary drive means. At least the lower portion of the curtain includes two flexible curtain panels connected to a periphery of the cylinder at first and second axial lines thereof. The two curtain panels are spaced apart from each other and extend in a parallel relationship when the curtain is fully deployed, for better acoustic insulation. The entire curtain is wound up on the cylinder when curtain roll-up is required.
More specifically, the cylinder includes a circular cross-section interrupted by four axial grooves. The grooves are equally and circumferentially spaced apart from one another. Bead means associated with the curtain selectively fit and lock into the individual grooves for connection of the cylinder and the curtain.
In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the upper portion of the curtain comprises one flexible curtain panel connected to the periphery of the cylinder at a third axial line thereon. The third axial line is equally and circumferentially spaced apart from the respective first and second axial connection lines of the two flexible curtain panels of the lower portion.
In another specific embodiment of the present invention, the upper portion of the curtain comprises two flexible curtain panels connected to the periphery of the cylinder at respective third and fourth axial connection lines thereon. Thus, the two curtain panels of the upper portion are also spaced apart from each other and extend in a parallel relationship in the fully deployed condition. Preferably, the third and fourth axial lines are circumferentially spaced 90xc2x0 apart, and diametrically opposite to the respective first and second axial lines.
Alternatively, the two curtain panels of the upper portion and the two curtain panels of the lower portion are preferably integrated respectively to form two full-size curtain panels, according to a further embodiment of the present invention. The cylinder is flanked by the two full-size curtain panels. A flexible connection section interconnects the periphery of the cylinder and each of the full-size curtain panels.
In the embodiments having double panels of the upper portion, the suspending means is preferably adapted to adjust the vertical positions of the top edges of the curtain panels of the upper portion relative to each other to ensure that both the curtain panels of the upper portion properly extend and are properly wound up on the cylinder when the curtain is in a wind-up process.
The side edges of the curtain panels and the respective side limiting means are preferably each provided with elongated cooperating hook-and-loop type fastening strips in order to seal the side edges of the curtain panels to the respective side limiting means when the curtain is deployed.
In contrast to the existing single panel curtains, the double panel curtains will provide much better acoustic insulation to reduce the sound transmission between the two divided portions of the room. In a number of situations, such as sports activities in gymnasiums, the most significant noise source is the people, including athletes and spectators especially when the spectators are not elevated on high indoor bleachers and no loud speakers hang from the ceiling. Thus, a flexible partition curtain with a double panel lower portion will provide good acoustic insulation. However, in gymnasiums provided with high indoor bleachers and loud speakers hanging from the ceilings, a flexible partition curtain with double panels from the top to the bottom are necessary in order to provide effective acoustic insulation.
Other advantages and features of the present invention will be better understood with reference to the preferred embodiments of the invention described hereinafter.